US2676472A

US2676472A - Drip return sirup pitcher

Info

Publication number: US2676472A
Application number: US126513A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paddock Prisk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-11-10
Filing date: 1949-11-10
Publication date: 1954-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 1971-04-27

Description

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Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES NT OFFICE DRIP RETURN SIRUP PITCHER Prisk Paddock, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 10, 1949, Serial No. 126,513

(Cl. S-31) 4 Claims. l

This invention relates to closures for jars and jugs, such as are employed on syrup jugs.

Heretofore, there has been developed and placed on the market a closure applicable to the mouth of a syrup jug wherein there is a pouring spout and a reciprocable blade is mounted on the closure arranged to open and close the pouring spout. The blade employed is arranged in shearing relationship with the edge of the spout and when shifted into closing position the intention of the blade is to not only close the spout but to shear or wipe off syrup on the edges of the spout to avoid drip. It is found, however, that although the blades are made of very thin, flexible metal that the blade, when closing the spout, tends to push some of the syrup over the edge of the spout so that regardless of the intended function of the blade there usually is a small amount of syrup that drips over the edge of the spout.

An object of the present invention is to provide a drip collector and return device which is so arranged as to collect the drip from the edge of the spout and return it to the jar or jug. The collecting means is so arranged as to also be covered by the blade so that the collected drip which is returned to the jug will not become contaminated either by dust or by insects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a type of accessory that can be easily installed and combined with the conventional closure above referred to and which will not only provide a pouring spout for the closure but will cause a portion of the spout on the present closure to serve as a drip collector and return the collected drips to the jar or jug.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a jar or jug illustrating a closure thereon embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial view similar to Fig. 1, a portion of the blade being illustrated as having been removed or broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 5 5 upon Fig. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, J indicates a jar or jug designed to contain syrup or other relative viscous liquid. Usually jars or jugs of this character are equipped with threads It adjacent their mouth for the application thereto of a closure. The closure is shown as having been applied to the jar J and consists of a cap H having a downwardly extending ange l2 which is threaded complementary to the threads I0 on the jar. This cap has an opening i3 formed therein, the outer side of which is formed to conform generally to a pouring spout Irl. A thin, flexible sheet metal blade i5 is mounted for reciprocation on the top of the cap I i between opposed lugs i6. This blade is apertured as at il to receive a pin i8 on a thumb actuated crank I9 that is pivoted as at 2t on the opposite side of the cap from the spout ld. The thumb actuated crank is also located above the handle 2i and has a thumb engageable handle 22. A torsion spring 23 urges the crank into a position wherein the blade l5 is in its forwardmost position extending over the tcp of the spout Ill.

The device embodying the present invention and which may be used to convert the conventional type of cap above described into a closure incorporating a drip return consists of a circular plate 2d of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter across the top of the jar J. This plate is adapted to be positioned on a gasket 25 that normally is interposed directly between the jar and a shoulder on the interior of the cap. The plate 2i is intended to occupy a position between the gasket and the shoulder. On one side of the plate there is an upstanding tube or nipple 2t that is so positioned that it will be spaced from the forward side of the spout M, the intervening space being indicated at 21. The top edge of the nipple 2S is rebated at the rear to form a `lower semi-circular edge 28 designed to t against the underside of the cap Il. The upper sez/nicircular edge 29 extends a distance higher than the edge 2t equivalent to the thickness of the cap l l so that this edge of the nipple will be disposed. in shearing relationship with the reciprocable blade l5. Diametrically opposite the nipple En an opening or passage 30 is formed in the plate but aside from this opening and the opening in the plate in the bottom of the nipple the plate is otherwise imperforate.

In pouring syrup or other liquid from the jar or jug J the handle 22 is depressed by the thumb to cause the crank i9 to retract the blade l5, thus opening not only the top of the space 2l but the newly formed pouring spout that is provided by 'the nipple 26. The syrup or other liquid can then be discharged through the spout 26 on tipping the jug. When the desired quantity of syrup has been poured on release of the handle 22 the torsion spring 23 will serve to return the crank I9, and consequently, the blade l to its closing position overlying the top of nipple 26 as well as the top of the space 21. In so doing, the forward edge of the blade will pass over the edge 29 and will effectively close the top of the spout formed by the nipple. Howevergas above explained even though the blade I5 is very `thin a small amount of syrup is usually pushed forward by the foi:- ward edge of the blade from the edge 28. This syrup or drip will, of course, trickle down the forward side of the spout. However, when the device embodying the present invention is used the drip on the forward side of the spoutis not. left exposed as in the case of the conventional closure. The space 21 functions as a drip col'- lector and the drip is collected and flows down onto the plate 2li from which they may be returned to the jar J- th-rough the opening S8. It will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that when the blade it moves forwardly that it nrst has its under side near its forward edge effectively wiped clean by the edge 2%. Consequently', even though this edge may extend over the forward edge of the spout l there is no drip fromV the blade over the forward side of the spout lll. Even though there might be some syrup adhere to the under side of the blade over the space 2l the capillary attraction or nieniscus will tend to draw such remaining syrup onto the walls of the space 21. To this end the top edge of the spout M is preferably notched or recessed slightly, as indicated at 3l, and is preferably beveled so that any drip that should tend to descend on the forward side of 'the spout i2 will be drawn back by the capillary attraction or cohesion with liquid descending on the side walls of the spout Ill.

I nd that even though the jar or jug J is practically full of syrup on tipping the jug to pour from the spout provided by the nipple 2t there is no tendency for the syrup to flow reversely through the opening @il but that instead the incoming lair through the opening 3d will prevent egress of syrup in this manner.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that the improved closure is highly advantageous in that all of the advantages of a shearing blade passing over the pouring spout are retained and in addition provision is made for collecting the drip from the forward side of the spout and returning it to the jug. Furthermore, as the blade extends not only over the spout provide-:l by the nipple 25, but over the collecting space 21 the collected drip is effectively protected against contamination. inasmuch as the spout provided by the nipple 26 is on a separate plate 23 that can be interposed between the closure and the jar the conventional type of closure can be readily converted to a construction possessing these advantages. In making the conversion the new pouring spout provided by the nipple occupies a portion of the original spout on the closure.

While the improved construction has been primarily designed for use in conjunction with a jar closure having a blade l5, the presence of such a blade is not essential. The closure may be made with a constantly open spout afforded by the nipple 25 through which the contents of the jar can be poured across the top of the collecting space 21.` When the pouring is discontinued any drip over the forward side of the nipple 26 will be collected in the collecting space 4 21 and ultimately returned to the jar through the opening 30.

Various changes may be made in the details of --the construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure for jars, jugs, and the like comprising a cap applicable to the mouth of a jar o1' jug, a blade reoiprocable thereon, means for reciprocating the blade, there being an opening in the cap arranged to .be traversed by the blade, a plate beneath the cap, a spout on the plate occupying the rear portion of the opening and presentingY an edge in shearing relationship with the blade, said plate having a passage therethrough remote from the pouring spout, the space between the spout and the forward side of the opening providing a collecting means for drips from the spout which may flow on the plate to the passage and be returned therethrough to the jug.

2. A jar or jug having a closure applied thereto, a pouring spout opening in the forward portion of the closure, a reciprocabl'e blade on the closure movable over the opening to open and close it, means on the closure for reciprocating the blade, a plate beneath the closure having an opening in the forward portion thereof and' a second opening remote therefrom, and a spout secured to the plate about the forward opening therein extending upwardly therefrom to the rear portion of the pouring spout opening and disposed in spaced relation to the forward edge thereof, the space between the forward side of the spout and the forward edge of the pouring spout opening providing a collecting means for drips from the spout which drips may flow on the plate to the remote opening and be returned therethrough to the jar or jug.

3. A jar or jug closure having side Walls and a top wall, a pouring spout opening in the forward portion of the top wall, a blade reciprocably mounted on the top wall adapted to cover and to open said opening, means on the closure for reciprocating the blade, a plate beneath the closure in spaced relation to the top wall thereof, a spout on the plate surrounding an opening in the forward portion thereof extending upwardly to the top wall in spaced relation to the forward side wall of the closure whereby the space between the spout and the forward side wall may serve to collect drips from the spout, there vbeing an opening in the plate remote from the spout through which collected drips may flow back into the jar or jug.

4. A jar or jug closure having side walls and a top wall, a pouring spout opening in the forward portion of the top wall, a blade reciprocably mounted on the top wall adapted to cover and to open said opening, means on the closure for reciprocating the blade, a plate beneath the closure in spaced relation to the top wall thereof a spout on the plate surrounding an opening in the forward portion thereof extending upwardly to the top wall in spaced relation to the forward side wall of the closure whereby the space between the spout and the forward side wall may serve to collect drips from the spout, there being an opening in the plate remote from the spout through which collected drips may flow back into the jar or jug, the top of the spout presenting a forward edge in shearing relationship to the blade.

(References on following page) References Cited n the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Skinner Nov. 9, 1869 5 Boyd Jan. 21, 1873 Bulluss, Jr. July 18, 1882 Laurnaster June 26, 1883 Muller Apr. 16, 1889 Brown Dee. 22, 1896 10 Number